A Shadow Amongst the Light
by t11baf
Summary: What happens after death?Do you go and live a happy life?Work with Satan?Neither?Watch as Braden figures that out the HARD way...rated T for curse words. Dedicated to Freakyanimegal. And a great friend who got to beta it. Will be a series
1. Death,Angels, and Welgaia,oh my!

**Me: I'm bored, and want to introduce my Symphonian next generation to our world of fanfics. Like them, hate them, I don't care. I love them and don't care if they're 'Mary-Sues or Gary-Drew's' I still have time to develop who they are, and fixate them to a standard of a person I know...**

**Braden: Whoa that **_**actually **_**touched ME the **_**flirt**_ **of the group! Brava! Brava, I say!**

**Me: Ummm Bradie-Kun, **_**when**_ **did I say you were allowed out of your grave? **_**And**_ **be out of character at the same time?**

**Braden: Uh yeah...about that...being a ghost is **_**b-o-r-i-n-g!**_ **I met Pop's dad, Exander, y'know, he doesn't float my boat. He's pretty boring all into botany and stuff and he actually had no clue **_**whatsoever**_ **that I was his oldest and dead **_**grandchild, **_**and hardly spoke to me; I think he was more interested in the leaves on the trees of up there than me...and Pop's mom, don't get me started! It sucked! I wanna be your muse! Pleaseeeeeeeee? I ish lonely...**

**Me: Fine don't give me the 'eyes'**

**Braden: Okey-dokey then, The Nut owns nothing XD**

**Me: Do you really want me to sic my Inner Bitch on you?**

**Braden: No, I just give up now **

**Me: Good**

I had sat there; my eyes were swollen, but open by a hair. I saw what looked like an innocent child probably five years younger than me clad in a light teal tank-top; black Capri's and wearing some Iselin shoes. In her wavy red hair was a plaid gray and teal ribbon. Her eyes were sky-blue and widened in horror as she screamed, shaking her head back and forth. That is, before the eyes lost the pupils, and she gave a scream in fury, ripping and murdering the desians that brought the fate I have. I swear the angelic-looking girl must be my sister, Ariella, but she wouldn't harm a _fly_. Absolutely never attack anything, whatsoever. But it was. I try to watch her more, but Purgatory grabs me, unfortunately, and I fall into a chasm of darkness. I feel a wave of nausea come over me as I hastily and hardly escape the demonic Purgatory. I tell myself to warn Ariella and get her to be happy with our last moments. I stare at my golden locks covered in the thick scarlet liquid draping over it.

I smiled. It took a load of my energy, I did it anyways. I was bleeding from my scalp. It brought me joy just to know I was alive and had these moments left. Ariella collapses on the soft green grass. I wish to crawl over and confront her, but I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my back. It becomes silent soon. Worries hit me like a brick Is she dead? Close to it? What if Mom and Dad never find her? What _if_? That was something I really did not want to know. But before I call out, I feel a Satan-like man, the corrupted side of Yggdrasil, grabbing at my shoulders and dragging me away. I hear him murmur in a soft and low voice.

"No, no not quite yet, he isn't dead. He has to be tested to go on to heaven or stay with me. Soon, very soon, it will be you and I child, working for me in the fiery depths of hell, helping me enslave others. Together, together we'll revive Martel like she wanted. Yes that would be nice... right child?" His sand-like blond hair hit mine. It feels disgusting, caked with dried out blood and dirt that feels like muck. His body on the other hand, is coated in blood, bones stick out in places they shouldn't, his organs hang out some, and some skin on one half of his body is ripped out. I give a seethe of fear and disgust. I don't know what's more grotesque- being touched by an undead psychopath, or actually seeing him face-to-face. Well, enough of that. Again, I'm dragged to Purgatory, no better than last and I see others readying for their departure to heaven or hell. I see a man that looks like me, a lot, but not completely the same.

His outfit is different, a blue suit with hard designs to figure out on it, boots that have black, silver and gold material crossing on each other, a black scarf with blue diamonds on it. His hair was molded into the same style I had but, longer and more like a halo-blond in contrast to my golden-blond. His skin was much tanner than my own, and his eyes were crimson. Ratatosk. He gave a glare and yelled.

"Augh! What?!What do you mean I'm going with Yggdrasil?!!DAMMIT! You'd better pray to Martel dammit...pray to her...pray for a damn painless death! Marta...I swear, I will kill you!" He rages, sending out a short blade, which vanishes in thin air. He glares and screams more. But, suddenly, he gasps and vanishes into thin air as well.

_No. I'm next. No, no...No! Who's going to watch Ariella? What's going to happen to me?!I've done bad things, but I don't deserve this! Even if I was sick of life nipping me in the neck! It was cruel dammit! Cruel!_ I scream at myself, my slate eyes turning blood-red, as I'm blinded by rage.

My memory comes back. It's fuzzy, but it was definitely there, that's for sure. I feel awkward, this cool, yet soft substance touching my skin like a feather. Huh? Is that _grass_?!My eyes widen in surprise. I'm back from Purgatory? Am I allowed to live?!I give out a hoarse croak. I look down. I'm covered in blood still, my jacket's still on the grass from the impact of that desian's blow, I try _crawling_. Take a whack at what happens. It ain't workin'. I feel the world growing heavier on me as I struggle more, trying to survive as much as I can. I feel pain. It's much fainter. My heart feels like it's burning a little, but the pain isn't necessarily terrible or murderous as _you_ people would think. The pain slips away. Slower and slower..._no way in hell_ is _that_ good. So, in my dying moments, I yell out to Ariella, who fortunately, has her consciousness back.

"Ariella, Sis, c'mere." Ariella stirred for seconds. But in a minute or so, she comes toward me on her knees and stares at me, her precious blue-eyes giving a gleam of curiosity. I hate destroying her innocence this way, but these things had to happen, like it or not. To keep her innocence as alive as long as I can, I give her a trademark one-of-a-kind Braden Drake Wilder grins, telling her,

"Oh my Sis, you look absolutely gorgeous! I'll miss you so much, but I promise, I'll visit from Heaven. I'm sorry, I failed you; I promised I wouldn't leave you. Never. But I am now. I guess my promise was too big of a burden to keep. I failed you as a brother, I'm sorry." Ariella gave me a dumbfounded blink as my smile grew weaker, my eyes grew droopy, and as I stroked her red hair while she sat upright. I waited for her to leave me, she didn't. It was her habitat here. I heard her sniffling faintly into my shirt when I stopped stroking her beautiful hair and ivory skin like a child. She knew it. No. I didn't want her to know I was dying, but she was too smart for me. I feel a claw at my shoulder and my eyes nearly fall closed while my heart's pulse falls dramatically. I manage to croak out my last words as sweetly as I can, but it won't do her any good, I think.

"I love you Ariella." My soul is slipping away. My eyes close by a mystical force. I fight and cling to my body. It's no use. Within seconds, my soul's is out now, and I can't stop it. I stare. Ariella is choking out words between her sobs, her arms flung around my stiff neck. She's crying about how it's her fault, being born, and how she didn't deserve me if she'd known this'd be fate. Crystalline tears are splattering over my shirt; if I was still alive I would be angry, now I don't care. I feel shameful for doing this to my sister. It storms soon, the claw grabs at my shoulders, I protest.

"When I'm buried, take me. I'm watching this now." The claw lets its grip go numb and I watch silently, my ghostly muscles not moving any. I hear Ariella crying more and I look down. I see two figures made out, Mom and Dad. Dad's red hair, currently in a ponytail, is soaked, his pink vest is unbuttoned and he sighs. His blue eyes roll slightly and close. Mom gives out a small cry of pain as she trips over a caterpillar, her blond hair flying. Dad picks her up and they make a faster pace, looking for Ariella probably. In a minute, Dad almost makes it to where Ariella is and calls out

"Ariella Angel? Are you out there? Please, somebody give me a sign that my two beautiful children are out here somewhere." Suddenly, Dad heard the faint reply of,

"Daddy, Mama! I'm over here!" My family united happily, for _now_. Dad smirks as he asks my younger sister,

"Ariella, where were you? Mama and I were worrying sick about you; now its nightfall...we better get home. So, what took you so long, Angel-Face?" Ariella's face grew paler as she choked out some whispers in Mom's ear. She grows faint and tells Dad. He twitches and grabs my corpse and my jacket. Both are slung over his shoulder. For the rest of the night, I don't see them, its early morning. I stare. Mom and Dad are burying me, lovely. Wait- my _burial_! The claw's going to expect me there. Oh joy. What hell am I gonna be dragged to next? I'll think about it later. I adjust my ghostly jacket and go over to the looming enormous Sakura tree in _that _field I'm going to be buried at. The claw's almost there. It's moving along slowly and faintly. But it's there. I hear Dad's voice again

"Ariella, why do you think Braden would want to be buried here?" He asks her silently, patting some dirt down, and putting flowers by my freshly fixed grave.

"I just have a feeling is all" Ariella puts a rose down. The claw grabs a hold of my arm, and then a honey-sweet voice talks to me.

"Braden Wilder, you aren't going to Heaven _or _Hell. You are going to Welgaia and are going to go colonize and become an angel while you work with them." I see a woman in place of the claw. She looks like the 'goddess' people call Martel. Her blue-green eyes blink at me and I give a sigh. I'm not going to forgive myself. _Maybe, just maybe...Hell wouldn't have been so bad after all_ I give a silent chuckle and follow Martel while she flies off like a deflated balloon.

**Me: Belch I've got eye-crust in here from lack of sleep. And I attempted at writing a point of view...**

**Braden: And she tortured me! Woo...**

**Me: Zzz...Braden if I drool grab me a cloth**

**Braden Will do boss!**


	2. Learn About Love,it's Hell

**Me: Woo!Startin' Chap 2!This one's gonna be different...maybe shorter.**

**Braden: By how much?A few hundred less words?**

**Me: **_**Oh**_** If **_**that's**_** how you feel,I might make it **_**longer**_**.**

**Braden: You,sock it.**

**Me: Make me.**

**Braden: Shut it or I'll **_**choke**_** you.**

**Me: I'll send you back to Exander and Mylene,cretin.**

**Braden: **_**Fine.**_** I hope you make Cyn cry.**

**Me: Cyn doesn't even **_**appear**_** in this story!Now disclaim**

**Braden: She owns me,Kennedy and the story,others go to Namco**

**Me: Good. Lights,cameras,action!Oh I didn't mean to spell 'Iselian' wrong in chp1 by the way...my beta has **_**NO**_** idea about ToS...hee (No offense dear.)**

Martel looks behind her back,and sees me behind. She gives a tsk of dissatisfaction,knowing I'll miss my family and didn't want to die. She sighs and flies back,grabbing my hand. She scowls

"Do you want this to happen the _easy_ way _or_ go like Ratatosk?" Her blue-green eyes had small flames in them as she glared at me,trying to burn my eyes away. I gave a look a fear that was a load of bull. Her hair gets in her face,and she screams as though she was being petrified. I rub my temples,and bring out my accursed pink wings. I glide smoothly along the sky while Martel tries getting the thick hair out her face. I smile contentedly and day-dream. The day-dream was about things that could've happened if I _didn't _die. It was full of happy days,parties,Christmases, and any other thing I could've imagined at the moment.

"Braden!Open your eyes,and watch the sky,dammit!" Martel was screaming in my face. Why?I was inches away from a looming glass dome in the middle of the sky. Seconds later,I feel a yelp escape Martel as I almost trip,the dome casually in my face. At the current time,all I manage to utter out is,

"_How_?" Just _how _in the bloody hell could I pretty much trip over _air_?!Hell,I don't know...anyways,Martel and I flew towards the dome. She told me how to get in,I did as told. We walked in rooms on end,seconds later,we were in an office. A man with long hair in a blue ponytail stared at me. As well,he was clad in heroic clothing in a colorful variety. Mainly blacks,whites,reds and golds,sat at the dek. I saw one of his eyes flicker open. Emerald green with pale lighter greens supporting the fiery orbs. They _looked_ nice but were _nothing _compared to mine. Okay,they were _and _I'm slightly self-absorbed. Happy?Good,as I was saying,his eyes widened a little when he saw Martel and I in his office

"Yu-Yu!Why did you leave the holograph here _again_?" She asked the 'man' at the desk curtly. Wow,wouldn't wanna be her lover. The man stared at me,gaping practically that is,until he moved. Static was heard in the background, and I heard him say,

"Tessa ran off with Andre and Gabriel- again." He'd smiled a crooked smile Even through static,it wasn't hard at all to figure out the man had sighed. Martel gasped and yelled

"Yuan Ka-Fai!How the fracking hell does our _daughter_ keep _on _escaping?!" Martel screamed,the fiery depths of hell literally behind her. I trembled in fear. For real this time. Poor Yuan. I wonder what the labor was like. _Oh,_ that would be _scary_. But Yuan interrupted before things got worse. My hide was saved!

"Martel,don't worry. Jules,Angelo,and I are after her. She can't run away forever. Oh,and send Mr. Wilder to Kennedy,room three-oh-four,story three,second door on the right." Martel gave a smile of satisfactory and off we went. More rooms,long and winding stairs of hell,and many more things that could perfectly torture me to death. Finally,after it felt like I was dragging my legs,Martel cheerily chirped,

"We're here!This is your stop!Now if you excuse me,I have to do the following: kill my husband for letting our child and escape and find others who will work with the angels like you." She smiled an awkward little half-smile. I hope that once I start,I won't see Martel and her more and likely bi-polar ass again. The hell I was dragged through wasn't worth getting paid for (and I wasn't). I looked up. The door seemed to loom in my face rather than me needing jump like most of the time. I even had to look down to see the door's golden number carved into the white oak door. The door creaked open as I opened it's knob,my face nearly blinded by the glorious illumination.

The place looked okay,two beds,a mirror...a mirror!Man,I'd have to check out how I looked soon,it _was_ a mirror,after all. A closed bathroom and a small kitchen. Not too shabby at all. I wonder when 'Kennedy' was coming so I could get an intro from him. The bathroom door opens and, an angelic voice,but with a hint of a monotone to it speaks

"Master Wilder?"

I feel like I'm dying again. Only because now,my heart is melting into pieces. The angelic voice lulls my head upward from the bed. Even though my clothing felt tight and I felt unbalanced now,I stiffen and straighten up to see the person who had called out. My jaw hits the floor as I stared,

"Hot damn...hot damn...hot damn...hot damn...hot damn...hot damn!" Repeatedly like an idiotic broken record player oh-so-quietly. What?If you're staring at _me_ you should have checked _her_ out. No,I wasn't staring at what _you think _I was staring at. In fact,it was the _opposite_. A young woman stood by the open bathroom door,her gorgeous looking honey-colored hair was up in a messy bun. It looked common amongst the Welgaian angels I was told about,but _she _was different. Her eyes were just these flat out radical violet and amethyst. orbs that mesmerized me. She was dressed simply in a white shirt and pants,a wet towel over her shoulder, and still,I sat there _gaping _like an idiot. Even if she looked twenty-two. She extended a hand towards mine and said in the amazingly,heaven-like and soft voice

"Master Wilder? Do you need any assistance with calming your nerves?" I stutter out the word 'no' and introduce myself.

"My name's Braden Wilder,most call me Braden. If ya don't mind,I'd like you to call me that too. Being called master or anything like it hordes me with guilt. Now that I've introduced myself, what I you name,miss..." Oblivious to the lower octave of my voice,I listen to the babe's response. _Kennedy?!_ I yell at myself. _Kennedy's a girl?!Who would name such a babelicious hunny with a GUY's name?!_

My questions would have to wait. Because,I have no info about her parents. Anyways,Kennedy gave me a response in that voice I love too much,

"Oh,Braden then,want any help?" Despite her monotone,she sounded really,really,humane and convincing,leaving _my_ heart aflutter. But within minutes,her robotic voice was nearly back. Even so,she talked to me like a human did either way.

"Braden,can you keep a secret?" I nodded my head along,slowly trying to catch what she was implying.

"Me?Absolutely positively!So,what would you like to tell me?" I managed not to stutter through words,one hand in the chin,glass of tea in the other.

"Are you ready?" Were the few words she had mused simply. I nodded my head. "Okay. I...I...I...oh. Braden,never mind. I think I'm not ready to let anyone besides Martel or Yuan to know my secret. Oh,and if you want,check the mirror out. You really should." The tone of her voice made it sound like she had known something I didn't,but for now,she was quiet again,and had her nose in what looked like a book while she positioned herself on the other bed. As she did so,I heard her cover giggles. Bad signs

_I might as well,_ I told myself _what more can go wrong?_ Plenty to come,yet I hadn't a clue. I went into the bathroom that I saw Kennedy come out of. It was nice looking,tub,shower,all of the good stuff in those fancy bathrooms like the ones Dad had showed me in Meltokio. I saw the mirror, but it was fogged.

Wow,who knew the Welgain took baths?Well,needn't minding that, I wiped the fog off the full-length mirror and panic ensued immediately while I stared. _Who _was he? Oh wait,me. _WHAT?!ME?! _I couldn't believe it. The person staring back at me in the mirror looked a lot like me,but in ways he didn't .

He had light and almost golden tan skin was _way_ different for one. My skin was tan too,but only a bit more than Mom's which was quite pale and nothing like Dad's. Two, the guy looked around what 6'3" maybe?Come on!I was tall for my age,but I mean _seriously_!It was like staring at this huge,giant or something like that!Three,his body was thin and practically ripped, barely holding the small clothes on which were skin-tight like Mithos'. Four, the eyes were a little smaller,but the same slate color of mine. Five,the hair was longer,covering the shoulders,and got in the way of the two slate eyes. And he looked 21 or 22

_No way,_ I told myself,moving a muscle watching the man do the same. I heard a ripping noise and looked down;as did the man. _it CAN'T be me!H...he...he's so different!I don't believe it...I don't believe it....I WON'T believe it!_ There was no way the guy could be me....could there?It was actually like staring at this grim and demonic monster,my every move mimicked. I flashed a smile at the mirror. A diabolic,almost maniacal smirk-like smile flashed from the man in the mirror. Only problem was it looked a hint too familiar. Fine it _was _me,I still wasn't going to say it outloud. I stirred and blinked as I grimaced. How couldn't I have known I was going to end up looking like some utterly sexy model from Meltokio?_Her..._ my thoughts were intertwined as I practically hissed the word aloud in a seethe. Oh,how I hated her so much...As I walked back to our the room Kennedy and I resided in I heard the Welgaian angel herself,crow.

"Martel didn't tell ya 'bout the little 'surprise',eh?" I slumped onto the other bed,nodding. I gave her a look that said _she never even mentioned a 'surprise'! _Kennedy started talking again,only her voice was quiet and tainted with sarcasm "wow,Martel _must love_ you." Hearing those words,Kennedy was no more of fan to Martel than I was. She talked more,I blushed. She talked to me more,I talked back (That is _after_ finding a better fitting outfit.) We had droned on about everything,how we disliked Martel,how freaky Welgaia was,our deaths,hers by fire,mine by an attack and she told me things I doubt she'd ever tell anyone,yet I still say she's hiding more from me. I was awake later that night,and we'd still been talking. This time it was about stars and time,y'know stuff like that.

"Hey,Braden?" She whispered softly.

"Yeah?" I'd told her

"Do you ever wonder why the Welgaian time faster when it feels like years instead of months?" She'd told me about it earlier. Weird,huh?

"Sometimes;y'know I have a question of my own. Wanna hear it?" I'd whispered below any utter I'd ever had. We were supposed to be sleeping to wake up early the next day so we could learn about stopping our internal clocks. Or at least that's was supposed to happen,with holographs watching our rooms during the night

"Yeah,try me..."

"Do you ever think angels like us can someday go back and visit the world,become human again and stay in the form we had before we died?" I heard her stiffen. Even in the dark,alone across from her bed,she heard me and there was no doubt she was hiding a secret...

**Me: I've kinda gave Braden and Kennedy an insta-friendship,didn't I?**

**Braden: Yeah,that seems Gary-Drew-ish...especially with the cliffhanger**

**Me: Well,you aren't a Gary-Drew...and it's **_**foreshawdowing **_**according to _my teacher, _Braden...**

**Braden: WELL,**_**fine**_** what it may be,let it be...I felt OOC in that chapter some!How can you OOC your **_**own character**_**?!**

**Me: I DON'T KNOW!LEAVE ME BE!And till my lazy arse starts writing you up again in chapter three,you and your happy little reviewing selves have to wait!See ya!**


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